1. Field of the Invention
The present invention involves crystallizable polyol materials produced by the co-crystallization of polyol(s) and hydrogenated maltodextrin.
2. Description of the Related Art
Polyols typically have a sweet taste and have less calories per gram than sucrose. Additionally, most polyols are non-cariogenic and can be used to make dentally-safe “sugar free” products. They are produced by the hydrogenation of carbohydrates. Presently, commonly-used polyols include xylitol, mannitol, sorbitol, and erythritol.
Xylitol is an odorless white crystalline powder that is comparably sweet to sucrose. The heat of solution of crystalline xylitol is −36.6 cal/g, which causes a strong cooling sensation in the mouth when the crystals dissolve. Crystalline xylitol can also change the flavor profile of products, making it unsuitable for many applications. Despite these drawbacks, xylitol is gaining increasing acceptance as an alternative sweetener due to its role in reducing the development of dental caries (cavities). A thorough discussion on the nature and use of xylitol can be found in Lea Hyvönen and Pekka Koivistoinen, “Food Technological Evaluation of Xylitol,” Advances in Food Research, Vol. 28 (1982).
Erythritol is an odorless white crystalline powder with a clean sweet taste that is similar to sucrose. It is approximately 70 percent as sweet as sucrose and flows easily due to its non-hygroscopic character. Unlike other polyols, erythritol only has 0.2 calories per gram (compared to other polyols which have about 1.6 to 2.6 calories per gram) and is digestible, meaning erythritol does not have the laxative side effects sometimes associated with excessive polyol consumption. The heat of solution of crystalline erythritol is −42.9 cal/g, which causes a strong sensory cooling feeling in the mouth like xylitol.
Sorbitol is a popular bulk sweetener found in numerous food products. In addition to providing sweetness, it is an excellent humectant and texturizing agent. Sorbitol is about 60 percent as sweet as sucrose with one-third fewer calories. Mannitol is a monosaccharide polyol that is about half as sweet as sucrose. Typically mannitol is used as a bulking agent in powdered foods and as a dusting agent for chewing gum. Both sorbitol and mannitol are very stable and chemically unreactive. They can withstand high temperatures and do not brown when heated. The heats of solution of sorbitol and mannitol are −26.5 cal/g and −28.9 cal/g respectively.
A significant drawback to using polyols to sweeten foods is their negative heat of solution. The negative heat of solution of crystalline polyols causes a cooling sensation when the crystals dissolve in the mouth. This cooling sensation is caused by the absorption of energy needed to solvate the crystalline matrix of the polyol. The sensory cooling effect limits the use of crystalline polyols in applications where a granular sucrose-free sweetener would be desirable, such as chocolates and bakery products.
Accordingly, there is a need for a crystallizable polyol material that does not create a strong sensory cooling effect in the mouth. Currently, it is not known how to reduce the sensory cooling effect in pure polyol materials. Experiments with dry blends of crystalline polyols with materials having a less-negative, or positive, heat of solution have had limited success in producing products with heat of solution greater than the original polyol. For example, the heat of solution of hydrogenated maltodextrin (“HM100”, a product of Innova LLC, Muscatine, Iowa) is +12.4 cal/g, and when blended with xylitol, the dry blend of hydrogenated maltodextrin and xylitol has a higher heat of solution than pure crystalline xylitol. However, when consuming the dry-blended product, one can perceive spots of high and low cooling, making the dry-blended material unpleasant and unsuitable for most uses. The perceptible differences in cooling reveal that the dry blended product is not completely homogenous. Other experiments have been performed using capsicum (pepper oil) to provide a warm sensation in the mouth, however, the products have not been satisfactory.